


The Slenderman Part 2: Not So Scary After All

by DespicableMe1



Category: Slender Man Mythos
Genre: Creepypasta, F/M, Fluff and Crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-03-22 02:29:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3711454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DespicableMe1/pseuds/DespicableMe1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And to think we all thought poor Megan was dead. But not so! It seems that Slenderman has some other plans in store. And it turns out he's not alone in this world of terror. But perhaps their world isn't so bad after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And here is part 2, the much better written (mostly) less horrific more entertaining sequel! This one is still a work in progress so please be patient! And I hope you guys enjoy.

I woke up in a dark room on an old, creaky bed. Wait a minute... Woke up?! I had killed myself! I'm supposed to be dead! What the hell is going on?!

I sat up on the bed, the rusty spring whining against my weight. I was still wearing the jeans and hoodie I was in before. Looking around I saw I was in an old, dusty room. It was almost pitch black, the only source of light being the minute amount of moon light that forced its way through a grimy window on my left.

I shook my head in confusion. How could this be? There was no way I could still be alive. I made sure of it!

I looked down at my wrists. They were bandaged neatly. The bandages looked relatively clean suggesting that they had been changed recently. But by whom?

In my state of utter shock I failed to notice the tall, faceless figure looming in the corner. The Slenderman. My eyes met with where his should be. Before I could scream in terror, tentacles shot out of his back and clamped over my mouth. A few more came towards me and shoved me down onto the bed. I shook with fear, tears pooling in my eyes and streaming down my face. His body glided to my side, and his head leaned close to my face, his face only inches from mine. A loud rip tore through the silence of the night, and a mouth appeared on his face sporting teeth like daggers.

He grinned wickedly and hissed into my ear, "Now you're mine."

I began to hear static and my head pounded in anguish. As hard as I tried to fight, my eyes started to droop shut. The world faded to the blackness of unconsciousness. The last thing I saw before I fell into a disturbed sleep was Slenderman's triumphant smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up what I assumed was a few hours later to the sun poking through the window. I shot up, my head swiveling in every direction in search of the Slenderman. I sighed in slight relief to find that he wasn't there. Happily, my headache was gone and I didn't hear static anymore. But the burning from the cuts in my wrists was more noticeable. While my wrists hurt a great deal, they were still functional.

I stepped out of bed and nearly tumbled to the floor but caught myself on the edge. I tiptoed over to the door, cringing every time the floorboards creaked beneath me. I finally reached the door and stared the oak wood down for a moment. I extended my hand to the brass doorknob, expecting it to be locked, but I was delighted to find the knob turned with ease.

I opened the door slowly, trying to prevent it from squeaking. I poked my head into the hallway and glanced around. I seemed to be on the second floor of an old, abandoned cabin. There were more doors to my left and a staircase to my right. I crept my way down the stairs and paused at the bottom. I was in the living room. There was a leather couch and chair and 2 wooden tables and a small lamp all resting in front of an old tv. While obviously used, it was apparent that a good deal of time had passed. A few inches of dust coated everything in the room, including the floor. I whimpered nervously upon noticing various footprint tracks made in the dust.

I assumed the kitchen was on the right behind the corner. However, I wasn't about to look. Straining my ears, I could hear slight murmuring coming from around the corner. I could just barely make out the exit up ahead, but to get there would require passing the kitchen. I crept closer, attempting to eaves drop on the conversation.

"I'm just saying, you're not acting normal, Slendy. You haven't been at the house in ages. I know you stalk your victims for a long time, but this is much longer than usual. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were getting attached to this human. I mean, you saved her!" yelled a deep, gruff sounding male voice. I couldn't be sure just listening, but he sounded like he was my age.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jeff! I could never grow attached to a 'human'. And I only saved her so I could play with her more. Besides, I haven't stalked her that long!" Slenderman huffed.

"I agree with Jeff," another softer male voice spoke up. "While you may not have made yourself visible to her, you followed her for a long time. And you killed her friend. Why keep her alive?"

My breathing hitched. I had nearly forgotten about Leslie. I had already assumed she was dead, but hearing my beliefs confirmed really hit the pain home. A few tears escaped my eyes as I continued listening.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jack," Slenderman snarled. "Her friend was weak. She's feisty and I happen to find that entertaining."

"Trying to kill yourself isn't any sort of strength. And while you've been here 'entertaing' yourself, Zalgo has been sending his servants to try to take the mansion. We won't be able to hold them off much longer without your help, and he'll come himself before long," Jeff yelled angrily.

Jack added in a much calmer voice, "We all need you back, Slendy. Can't you cut this hunt short a bit in order to defend the mansion? If Zalgo manages to take over, the first pasta he kills will be you."

Slenderman sighed in defeat. "All right. Both of you go on back and tell the others I'll be in later tonight."

The sound of chairs squealing across the floor brought me to attention and alerted me to the condition of my certain position. I didn't have time to run back up the stairs and I'd make too much noise if I tried. I froze in fear as footsteps approached me.

Slenderman rounded the corner and stopped. His mouth was present once again and it turned up in a snarl, multiple tentacles flying out of his back and writhing about in anger, a guttural growl escaping through his lips. Jeff and Jack must have heard this given that I heard hurried footsteps heading my direction. I gulped in fear, my face likely paling to the pasty white of Slenderman himself.

"Yo, Slendy! Everything alright? We thought we heard-" Jeff began, abruptly stopping when he laid eyes on me and stared at me in shock. He was in jeans and a bloodstained white hoodie. He had long, messy black hair and his skin was paper white. His eyelids were burnt off making it impossible for him to blink and he had large, curved cuts in his cheeks giving him an everlasting smile. He had a blood crusted knife clenched tight in his fist.

After staring at me for a few moments with his unblinking eyes, his smile stretched impossibly wider and he purred seductively, "Why, hello there, babe. I gotta say, Slendy, you picked a rather cute one to toy with. She could be quite beautiful if you let me play with her some." He said the last part while stroking his knife thoughtfully. I didn't want to find out this guy's definition of beautiful. Slenderman merely growled at him in response.

Jack rounded the corner seconds after Jeff. He was in black pants and a black hoodie with shaggy brown hair poking out from underneath. He was wearing a blue mask with only eyeholes. Only, I noticed that he didn't seem to have any eyes and black liquid was streaming from his empty sockets. He didn't say anything. He merely cocked his head to the side and continued to stare at me with what I assumed was curiosity.

After a few moments of silence, Jeff spoke up saying, "So what are we going to do with her? Do we make her go to sleep now? I will, but that wouldn't be near as much fun."

"'We' are not going to do anything!" Slenderman snarled. "This human girl is my victim. I'll not have you making her 'go to sleep' or Jack taking her organs."

Jack groaned, whining, "But her blood is A-. That's the best kind!"

"No!" Slenderman shouted. After a few more seconds of silence, "She'll come with us."

"What?!" Jeff and Jack shouted in unison.

"You heard me. She'll stay with us until we sort out the problem with Zalgo. She's my victim and I'm going to keep her as my victim, meaning none of you are to harm her. I'm not finished with her yet. When we finish our business with the enemy, then I'll kill her."

Jack and Jeff eyed Slenderman before both shrugging.

"Whatever you say, Slendy," Jeff half chucked. "Just don't expect this to sit well with the others."


	3. Chapter 3

Given I had nothing with me but the clothes on my back, there was nothing for me to pack, and we all left almost immediately. Slenderman was leading the way and I was walking behind him with Jeff and Jack on either side of me. Jeff was walking with his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, twirling his knife beneath the fabric, while Jack's hands were swinging loosely at his sides.

We walked in silence for a while. Jeff was wearing a large smirk on his face. He was deeply enjoying my discomfort. After a while, Jack cleared his throat, trying to get our attention.

"I don't know if you figured it out already, but my name is Eyeless Jack. You can call me E.J., though. I guess since you'll be staying with us for a while, you should know a little more about us. Don't you agree, Jeff?" E.J. began, strongly hinting for Jeff to speak up.

Jeff snorted and said, "Yeah, I guess. Takes some of the fun out of it, though. I'm Jeff, Jeff the Killer. You already know Slendy. He's the boss man out at the manor. There's a lot of us, really. You'll meet some more where we're headed."

"What are the others like?" I whispered shakily.

Jeff started to cackle maniacally. "They're killers like us, stupid! What do you think?"

"I was just wanting some info before I get ripped to shreds," I mumbled in irritation.

Jeff leapt in front of me and got right in my face, sneering, "You think you'll get ripped to pieces? That's far from Slenderman's style. No, he likes to stalk you for months, years. He makes you question whether he's really there. You start to lose your mind. You lock yourself away from society and become a lonely, crazed wreck of a miserable excuse for a human being. And right when you're about to kill yourself, that's when he makes his move. He snatches you and impales you on a tree, leaving your bloody corpse on display for the whole world to see. Of course, no one's really going to care you're dead. At that point, you're too crazy for anyone to really give a shit!"

Suddenly, tentacles appeared, wrapping around Jeff and lifting him high into the air. Jeff instantly began struggling and cursing like a drunken sailor. Slenderman's voice boomed throughout the woods silencing Jeff immediately. "That's enough, Jeffery. Leave such stories for your own victims. I don't want to hear any more about this from you." Slenderman set Jeff back on his feet and continued walking on.

Jeff mumbled a few more obscenities and started following again. "You would have liked being my victim better," he said, smirking.

"Oh, I'm sure she'd absolutely love having her face carved into and her throat slit," E.J. grunted sarcastically.

"Oh, cause stealing her organs is SO much better, kidney boy," Jeff retorted.

"You could always not kill me," I muttered quietly. Jeff laughed again and went back to smirking and walking in silence.

"At least you're not dead yet," E.J. said in an attempt to be encouraging. "And while a lot of the others will be ultra pervy, it's unlikely any of them will try to touch you since you're under Slendy's protection. You certainly won't have to worry about Masky, Hoodie, or Ticci Toby."

"Why's that?" I asked, curious.

"They're Slenderman's proxies," E.J. responded. "Slenderman is their master and they have to do whatever he says. Otherwise, he'll probably kill them."

"Just watch out for BEN Drowned," Jeff chuckled.

"What's wrong with BEN?" I squeaked nervously.

He pointed ahead, smirking. " You'll see."

I gasped, staring wide eyed and open mouthed. Jeff was pointing to a clearing where a large, white mansion stood tall, reaching high into the sky. It was the most gorgeous building I'd ever seen and certainly the largest.

"Shut your mouth and come on," Jeff barked sharply.

I snapped my mouth shut and shot him a glare before following.

Slenderman opened the door and lead the way into the house followed by Jeff, E.J., and myself. We walked into a large living room where other beings stared at us, me rather, in curiosity. There was a second floor which looked to be made entirely of bedrooms. It was impossible to determine what all the ground floor contained.

I sped up and walked closely behind Slenderman. I didn't trust him in the slightest, but I trusted the others even less.

"Why did you bring a human here?" a monochrome, clown looking man inquired.

"I'll get to that in a moment, Jack," Slenderman replied cooly.

I leaned over to E.J. and whispered, "There's another Jack?"

"Yeah, that's Laughing Jack. But we call him L.J." E.J. said.

I heard a soft pop behind me. I turned around and saw a guy dressed in a green tunic and hat with pointy ears and shaggy, blond hair. He looked identical to Link from those Zelda games except for his eyes. They were black, empty spaces with red pupils and black sludge oozing out.

He got close to my face and growled huskily, "You know, you're kind of hot for a human. I wonder if Slendy will let me fool around with you a bit. It'll only hurt for a moment." He winked and grinned seductively and played with a loose strand of my hair.

Slenderman growled and wrapped his tentacles around my waist, pulling me close to him protectively. " You're not going to touch this one, BEN. You have plenty of other humans you can stalk."

"BEN, if I can't steal her kidneys, you can't steal her virginity!" E.J. shouted angrily, earning some snickers from the others in the room.

Jeff walked up to BEN's side and chuckled, "Already tried, bro."

"At least stealing her virginity wouldn't kill her," BEN snickered. E.J. growled and stomped over to one of the couches that the others were lounging on.

Slenderman cleared his throat, saying, "You can all discuss this later. I know you're all wondering why I've brought a human here. She was meant to be my victim but Jeffrey and Jack alerted me to the current events that have been taking place. I wasn't through with her yet, so she's staying here until we resolve this conflict with Zalgo and his emissaries. That being said, none of you are to harm her in any way. That includes sexual advances. I'll see to it that anyone who does otherwise is severely punished. Jeff, BEN, I'm speaking primarily to you. Hands off of Megan. You may speak and interact with her as you wish. For the time being, she will be staying in Sally and Jane's room. Masky, Hoodie, Toby, I want you three in my office now. Tell me exactly what has occurred in my absence."

A boy in an orange hoodie and white mask with feminine lips painted on and shaggy, brown hair poking out of his hood stood up and followed Slenderman. He walked by and waved shyly. A boy in a yellow hoodie with a black ski mask and a red, sewn on frown followed closely behind. The last boy sighed and drug himself away from the comfortable cushions. He shoved his hands in his pants pockets and trudged upstairs. I noticed he was twitching a lot. He had on a blue hood, a tan shirt with striped sleeves, orange goggles, and a mouth guard. He had shaggy brown hair as well but his was a few shades lighter than the first boy's.

"Masky, Hoodie, and Toby," Jeff said. BEN was still standing beside him, grinning seductively. I looked away nervously and heard him chuckle deeply behind me.

L.J. strolled up, giggling madly. "Hi, Megan! My name is Laughing Jack. But you may call me L.J.." He shoved his large, open palm under my nose. Stumbling backwards in shock before taking a closer look, I saw he was holding many multicolored candies. "Sweet for a sweetie?" he asked, cackling madly.

"Are you deaf, Laughing Ass? Slendy said don't kill her! That means no poisoned candy," Jeff growled.

"Not all of my candy is poisoned, Jeffy," L.J. snickered. He stretched his hand out once more.

"No thanks," I mumbled. His smile fell, but only for a moment. He laughed again and said, "Suit yourself! That just means more for me!"

A little girl in a long, pink dress with longer brown hair tugged on L.J.'s sleeve. "Can I have some of your candy Laughing Jack?" she asked sweetly.

L.J. knelt down and gave her a small handful, saying, "Of course you can, Sally! You're always welcome to my candy."

She smiled happily grabbing the candy in her small fists and holding all of it against her chest. She walked up to me and said, "L.J. makes the best candy! I'm Sally, by the way. I'm so excited to have someone new sharing my room!"

She was too adorable. I could hardly believe she lived here with all of these killers. I bent down to her level and smiled saying, "I'm thrilled I get to share a room with you.

Her eyes lit up even brighter. "Oh, yay! This is going to be so much fun! And Jane is nice too. She's upstairs right now. She doesn't like coming to meetings, especially if Jeff is going to be there. They don't get along very well."

I chuckled, my smile stretching even wider. "I can certainly understand that." Jeff growled in irritation while BEN cackled, earning himself a punch in the chest from the forever smiling killer.

I yawned, my exhaustion beginning to overwhelm me. This was so much to absorb in such a short period of time. Sally took me by the hand and began leading me upstairs. "Come on and see where you're going to be staying! You can meet Jane too. The others can wait till tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

I stumbled up the stairs, sleepiness flowing over me in waves. Sally and I turned left at the top of the stairs and walked down to the end of the hall, stopping in front of a red door with intricate designs painted on in black. Sally opened the door and stepped into the room, me following close behind. It looked almost as if the room had been cut in half. One side was all black and red, similar to the door, and the other side seemed to be colored entirely of pink. There was a pink pillow and a black blanket laid on the floor by the foot of the bed with a red comforter. I assumed that's where I'd be sleeping.

On this red comforter was perched a girl. She was in a black dress and had black lips and eyes. Her skin was white like Jeff's but minus the leathery appearance. Her head tilted up towards us. When she laid eyes on me, her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips.

"So this is Slendy's human, huh," she growled in irritation. I nodded silently. Fear started to creep its way back into my chest, once again causing me to forget how tired I was. "Look, I won't kill you while you're here just as long as you stay away. So unless you're going to help me make Jeff's life a living hell, stay out of my stuff and don't talk to me."

My eyes grew wide with my increasing fear and I cringed. I nodded vigorously and kept my back pressed to the wall.

"But Jane, she's our guest. And she's with Slendy," Sally spoke up sweetly. "Don't you think we should be nice to her?"

Jane snorted, saying, " I said I'm not going to kill her. That is being nice. Besides, she's just a human. Slenderman's going to kill her once we fix things with Zalgo anyway."

"But Jane!..." Sally whined.

Jane stood defiantly for a moment before rolling her eyes and sighing. "Fine, I'll be nice to the human. Just don't get attached to her. She's nothing special."

Sally squealed and jumped up and down happily. "Yay! I just know we're all going to get along great!"

Jane gave her a somewhat skeptical glance. Then, she turned to me and asked, "What's your name, anyway?"

"I'm Megan," I said quietly.

Jane nodded and said, "All right then." She stood up and started heading toward the door. "I'm hungry so I'm gonna see what Slendy has cooked up for dinner. Coming?"

"I am rather hungry," I mumbled, trying to remember the last time I had a full meal.

"I was talking to Sally," Jane said coolly. "But I guess you have to eat too. I'll show you to the kitchen."

I nodded in thanks and followed her back down the stairs. I guess I'll sleep later. We walked back into the living room and entered a door on the left (to the right of the entrance). All of the other pastas were already gathered around a large table. The aroma of food working around the room, causing my mouth to water. Slenderman was standing in front of a stove with an oven underneath. There were various pots and pans set about and I could see a large pan in the oven with what looked like turkey. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips when I saw Slenderman wearing a pink apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" written in silver cursive along the chest. Jane smirked and chuckled a bit herself.

"A Christmas present from Sally," she explained.

L.J. noticed me and grinned widely, waving and shouting, "Megan, come sit over here with me and Sally!" I grinned lightly and walked over, sitting to his right and Sally's left. Jeff was by L.J. and BEN by him and E.J. by BEN, and Masky, Hoodie, Toby, and Jane sat opposite of us.

Slenderman tilted his head back to assumedly glance at me before returning to his cooking. He pulled the turkey out of the oven a few minutes later and sat it on the table. He displayed the other pots on the table, the other foods being potatoes, okra, squash, zucchini, and macaroni and cheese for Sally. He placed spoons inside the pots and let us dig in. I didn't get much, but what food I did it was absolutely delicious. It was possibly the best food I'd ever eaten!

Most everyone stood up and left except for Slenderman, L.J., and me. I sat and talked to L.J. for a while. He cracked a bunch of jokes and told me a bit about some of the other pastas. His story about his life was really sad. I felt bad for him, granted most of the stories about the pastas were sad. I thought Toby's was the most depressing. I cried a bit which made L.J. upset. He quickly tried to make me smile again by telling a few funny stories about Toby's waffle obsession and Masky's deadly desire for cheesecake.

After a while, L.J. stood and went upstairs. "I think I'm going to head to bed. Good night, Megan!"

I smiled widely. "Good night, L.J.!"

I was now alone in the kitchen with Slenderman. I gulped nervously. I know he said I wasn't technically in danger for the time being, but I was still nervous. I stood up to head back to Jane and Sally's room when Slenderman cleared his throat and spoke. "I trust the others are treating you decently," he muttered in his gruff voice.

His words caught me a bit off guard. He sounded almost as if he was concerned. "Yeah, they're all right," I replied.

He nodded. "Good."

"Yeah... I think I'm going to get some sleep now... Good night," I said, rather shyly.

"Good night, Megan," he mumbled softly.

I walked out of the room and began walking up the stairs. That may have possibly been the strangest part of the whole day. I turned onto the hallway and started walking toward my temporary room when I heard a soft pop behind me. I groaned, immediately knowing who it was. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands grab me roughly and spin me around and pin me against the wall. I came nose to nose with the one and only BEN Drowned. He pressed his body close to mine so I couldn't move.

"Hey, doll," he said, smirking.

I glared at him. "What do you want?" I grumbled in annoyance. I honestly thought he was kind of cute, but he was way too pervy for my tastes.

"I didn't get the chance to get to know you earlier, so I thought I'd make up for it now. Since, you know, there's no one around to see." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned wickedly.

"BEN, please just leave me alone," I groaned. I really didn't want to deal with this guy.

He smirked again before roughly pressing his lips to mine. He moved them, hungrily aching for a response. I tried to recoil but the wall held my head in place. I bit his lip sharply, hoping he'd move away. He pulled back in shock, but only for a moment.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growled huskily before shoving his lips against mine once more.

I didn't move an inch. I wasn't sure what to do. I'd never even been kissed by a guy before, and here I was losing that experience to this ass. He pressed his body even harder against mine, working desperately to get a response. Then, I had an idea of how to get away, though I'd have to lose a bit of my pride to do it. I moved my lips against his, syncing to his motion. I could feel his excitement grow. He shoved his tongue inside my mouth, not even asking for permission, and began to explore his new territory. I had to keep myself from gagging. I moved my hands from my sides and ran my fingers through his hair, knocking his hat off in the process. He didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care. I ran my hands down his neck and placed them on his chest. Now was my chance.

I used all my strength to shove him backwards against the banister. I ran away as fast as I could and darted down the stairs. "RAPE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I saw a tentacley figure standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Thinking him to be Slenderman, I ran behind him and hid, clutching the back of his clothes.

BEN rounded the corner and froze in front of the figure. I thought he was frozen out of fear, believing himself to be busted. But then he cracked a huge smile on his face and began to giggle. He laughed harder and harder till he was cackling madly, his head tilted toward the ceiling and black tears streamed down his face.

I rose my eyebrow, looking at him in confusion. "What are you laughing at?" I yelled angrily.

He lifted a finger, trying hard to catch his breath. Through his laughter and gasps he said, "You run away from me screaming rape,... Yet you hide behind Sexual Offenderman!" He burst into laughter again and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach.

I froze at the name. I slowly lifted my head up to the tall being I was still clutching tightly. Beneath his black fedora, I could see a dark smirk.

"Hey there, babe," he chuckled in a deep voice. I quickly released his black trench coat and backed away. Before I could get far, he pulled me close with one of his white tentacles, lifting me slightly. "Where do you think you're going? We're just getting started," he hummed throatily.

Shit, this guy was worse than BEN! One of his other tentacles wandered down to my butt and groped me greedily. I struggled vainly. "Hey, let me go! Let me go!" I shouted nervously. My struggling just seemed to arouse him more. His smirk deepened and he pulled me close to his face. "BEN, help me!" I cried, hoping the pervy game glitch would get Slenderman.

"Sorry, babe. Not my job to protect you," he grinned slyly.

"BEN, you son of a bitch!" I screamed shrilly. Offenderman chuckled and pulled me tighter.

"I like it when they're feisty," he purred.

"Offenderman, put her down. Didn't you listen to a single word our brother said? You know she's under Slenderman's protection!" a light voice, one that would typically sound cheerful, piped up in my defense.

Offenderman groaned and reluctantly set me down. I peddled my feet backwards away from him and BEN until my legs made contact with one of the couches. I looked over to my savior and saw another Slenderman lookalike. He too was in a suit but it was covered in colorful polka dots. He wore a top hat of the same design. Unlike Slenderman, though, he had black, beady eyes and a large, seemingly kindhearted grin.

The other Enderman turned toward me saying,"Hello, dearest Megan. My name is Splendorman. My apologies for my brother's, urh, indecency." He smiled shyly.

"Uh, not to sound rude or anything," I began, half nervous and half irritated, "but just how many of you are there?"

He chuckled and said, "There's four of us, counting Slenderman."

"So... There's one more?" I questioned.

"Yes, he's here in the kitchen if you'd like to meet him!" Splendorman said cheerfully.

I gave a quizzical look and muttered, "Yeah, I guess so."

He sensed my hesitancy and said, "Don't worry about Trenderman. The worst he'll do is complain about your outfit. He won't try to kill, harm, or rape you." He said the last part loudly, shooting a small glare toward Offenderman. Offenderman just shrugged and grinned at me again.

Splendorman linked my human arm in his insanely long one and lead me into the kitchen. Offenderman entered behind us. Slenderman was leaning against the stove and another being with hipster glasses, khaki pants, a white button up shirt, and a vest was sitting at a table. I assumed this was Trenderman. Like Slenderman, his face was completely blank. They both looked up at us when we walked in. Slenderman seemed to be shocked. Trenderman, on the other hand, was absolutely horrified.

"Oh honey, who dressed you, a carnie?" he gasped in horror. I looked down at what I was wearing. I was still in my hoodie and jeans. That seemed relatively normal to me. "No, no, no, this won't do at all! Slender, how on earth do you tolerate this? Oh right, mister I-wear-the-same-suit-every-day-for-all-of-eternity. I must amend this at once!"

Slenderman groaned in annoyance. "Trenderman, you're not going to fix anything. This is a perfectly normal human outfit. Leave it be. She's my human anyway, not yours."

"Slenderman's right," Splendorman agreed. "She isn't your human to fix. Besides, a good personality is much more important than appearances." I was really starting to like this guy.

"Maybe, but a decent wardrobe can go a long way...," Trenderman muttered.

"All right, that's enough for one night," Slenderman growled. "I don't even know how Megan managed to run into you two given as she was going to bed, but we can continue this in the morning. Good night again, Megan. And Offenderman, keep your hands and tentacles to yourself."

Offenderman gave a somewhat guilty look before mumbling, "Yeah, whatever. It's not like I'm the one who did anything anyway."

Slenderman pinched the area where his nose should have been in irritation before waving me away. I nodded and walked out of the room, Splendorman shouting a cheerful good night as the door to the kitchen closed behind me. I trudged up the stairs, without being pinned to the wall this time, and entered "my" room. Sally and Jane were already asleep. I fluffed my pillow some and curled up under the blanket before drifting off into sleep. This was going to be a long stay at the pasta manor.


	5. Chapter 5

I slept heavily that night, sleep enveloping me and dragging me down into a coma-like state. I woke up around 10:30 the next morning, long after everyone else had risen. I trudged drowsily down the stairs, my stomach protesting from my long slumber and leading me toward the kitchen. As I neared the kitchen, I could hear an excited, almost childish voice coming from behind the door.

I walked into the kitchen and found Hoodie, Masky, and Toby. Hoodie and Masky were both sitting at the table, slices of cheesecake on their plates, while Toby was standing beside Masky, waiting on his waffles to finish cooking and apparently being very irritating. I couldn't see any of their faces, but the tension emanating off of Masky was near tangible.

"Hey, Masky! Hey, Masky! Hey, Masky!" Toby chimed over and over, poking Masky in the shoulder. Toby was obviously enjoying how annoyed he was making his fellow proxy. Looking into Masky's blue eyes, they seemed to glow red in anger and hatred. While unable to see Hoodie's face, I knew he was looking on with pity for Masky but slight relief that he wasn't the one suffering such a fate.

Toby paused his torture when I entered. Masky looked at me with grateful eyes, and in his quiet, shy voice stuttered, "H-hi! Megan, i-isn't it?"

I couldn't help but smile. His stutter was absolutely adorable! "Yeah, that's me. Masky, right?" He nodded in recognition.

Toby stepped away from Masky and stalked up to me, getting uncomfortably close to my face. I tried to back away some, but he kept following me until he had me backed against the wall. I tried not to look scared, but I couldn't help cringing a bit. I eyed the two hatchets he had hanging from his belt loops nervously.

With his eyes narrowed into menacing slits he growled, "I have one question for you and I'm only going to ask it once so you'd better get it right... Do. You. Like. Waffles?"

I stood their dumb, frozen in shock and confusion. I'd never heard anyone ask a question like that so seriously before. I finally managed to force out, "Y-yeah. Sure. I like waffles."

Toby grinned behind his face guard and pulled away saying, "OK, I like you!" The waffle iron dinged and Toby squealed before running over, yanking his mouth guard down, and piling his plate high with waffles before dousing them all heavily with syrup. Through a mouthful of waffle he asked, pointing a fork in my direction, "Want some?"

I shook my head and said, "No thanks. I'll just find something else." He shrugged and went back to shoveling waffle into his mouth.

I found some cereal in a cabinet and poured some into a bowl before sitting down across from the proxies. I asked out of curiosity, "Why did you ask me if I like waffles? I mean, doesn't everyone like waffles?"

"Masky doesn't like waffles," Toby huffed.

Masky laid his head on the table and groaned, "And that's why he hates me. All because I like cheesecake." Hoodie nodded sympathetically.

"Oh, I love cheesecake!" I said in excitement. That was the worst thing I could have possibly said in Toby's presence. He stood from the table and backed away. He pulled out his hatchets and held them dangling at his sides. He glared daggers at me.

He growled, voice quaking in anger, "You lied to me, Megan."

"Toby," Hoodie murmured quietly, "you know what Slenderman said."

"Shut up, Hoodie!" Toby shouted.

I shook my head nervously, squeaking, "I wasn't lying Toby. I like waffles, honestly! I swear I do! But... I like cheesecake too. Can't I like both?"

He paused, obviously confused by the idea. Masky cocked his head to the side in contemplation as well. Had neither of them really thought of the idea of liking both?

"I mean honestly, are you really going to hate each other just because of your preferences in food?" I continued.

They glanced at each other, embarrassment playing on their faces. "I-i think she might have a point," Masky said softly.

"Yeah," Toby agreed, putting his hatchets back in his pants loops, "I suppose she does."

"So... Truce?" I said, motioning at the two proxies.

"Truce!" they said together, shaking hands and chuckling at their own stupidity.

Toby sat back down and we all chatted and ate together, rather enjoying ourselves. Hoodie was obviously relieved that the tension was gone and Masky was thrilled that Toby wouldn't be so bothersome, though he'd probably continue to pick on Masky for the sake of fun.

"Hey, you know what would be really awesome?" I chimed in excitedly?

Masky and Toby looked at each other before both shouting, "Cheesecake covered waffles!" We all burst into laughter, Toby nearly falling to the floor from leaning too far back in his chair.

In the middle of our laughter, Jeff burst into the kitchen angrily. He'd be glaring at us if he had eyelids to narrow. "Hey! Don't you idiots know some people are trying to sleep? Shut the hell up already!" he huffed.

He turned to leave but not before Masky and Toby leapt up, grinning sadistically at each other, and barraged him with a chorus of, "Hey, Jeffrey! Hey, Jeffrey! Hey, Jeffrey!"

Jeff whirled around, whipping his knife out, and charged at the two screaming, "Go. To. Sleep!" Toby and Masky easily dodged his swings, laughing as they did so. I couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity. Hoodie sat beside me chuckling quietly.

Jeff finally stopped trying to stab the two proxies and huffed, "Since when do the two of you get along anyway?"

"You can thank Megan for that one!" Toby chimed, grinning. "She made it clear that Masky and I don't really have a reason to hate each other. But since I'm not bothering Masky anymore, I need someone to take his place, and who better than you Jeff?" A string of giggles slipped through his lips.

Jeff shot daggers in my direction with his eyes. "You're lucky you're under Slendy's protection," he hissed menacingly. "Otherwise I'd already have slit your throat by now."

"No you wouldn't have!" Toby sang.

Jeff gave him a sideways look. "And why's that, Twitch?"

"Because I'd protect her! She like waffles, after all," he stated with a grin. I smiled at his statement. I knew he was being facetious, but his sentence still made me happy.

Jeff rolled his eyes as best as his damaged face would allow. "Yeah, whatever. Just keep quiet down here. I need my beauty sleep and I don't want you fuckers to ruin it. Anymore more loud sounds and I'll kill you anyway. See if I give a shit," he threatened menacingly. He shot me a final glare before heading back out of the kitchen.

He didn't get far, though. He only had one foot past the door frame before he began to hurriedly stumble backwards. Jeff had a look of utter terror sketched in his features, eyes seemingly wider than normal. An angry Slenderman towered over the frightened killer, following his every step. Slenderman's tentacles shot out from behind his back, wrapping themselves around Jeff and lifted Jeff toward his face. Jeff began to struggle vigorously, cursing angrily.

"Now Jeff, I know I didn't hear you threaten Megan," Slenderman growled menacingly.

"Of course not!" Jeff roared defensively. "Now put me the fuck down!"

Slenderman tilted his head toward me and the proxies. "Megan, did Jeff threaten you?" Slenderman asked me.

Oh, how tempting it was to screw with Jeff! I would have absolutely loved to see Jeff get the shit beat out of him, but at the same time, I didn't want him to hate me more than he already does. Aside from being a total asshat, he was a pretty cool guy.

"Jeff? Threaten me? Why, he would never do such a thing!" I said in a sickly sweet, exaggerated voice. "We're best buddies, right Jeff?" I said walking over and tugging on his pants leg.

If looks could kill, Jeff would have murdered me a thousand times over by now. I laughed to myself, knowing he hated having to play along. "Yeah, best buddies," he strained through gritted teeth.

Slenderman shook him forcefully one more time before setting the killer down and walking out of the room. Jeff waited for him to leave before flipping him off. The proxies and I burst into laughter at his shame, Toby and me literally falling to the floor.

"I don't see what Slenderdick is getting so upset about anyway. It's not like I actually DID anything to you!" he shouted defensively.

"Yeah, but Slendy loves to screw with you," Hoodie chuckled.

"Who doesn't?!" Toby gasped through howls of laughter.

Jeff's face turned a dark shade of red and he stormed out of the kitchen shouting, "All of you can go fuck yourselves!" We all just laughed harder.


	6. Chapter 6

After the conundrum with Jeff this morning, I sat with the proxies for the longest and just hung around. It was only a couple of hours before the others started showing up for lunch. BEN was the first to show up. I scooted closer to Masky for protection from the pervy pasta. BEN shot me an angry glare.

"You can chill out. I'm not going to do anything," he huffed. "Slendy already beat my ass."

"Well, you deserved it!" I shouted defensively.

"I only did what every other guy here wanted to do!" he shouted back.

"But that doesn't make it right!" I countered, leaping out of my chair.

"Whatever, it's not like it matters anyway," he growled. "I'm not going to bother you again." He turned away, seeming almost sad.

I couldn't help the small wave of pity that surrounded me. He was kind of a sweetie when he wasn't being a total perv. And he was kind of cute. I walked over and turned the cyber ghost around so he was facing me. His lips were jutted out in a pout and he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"BEN, I don't have anything against you," I said softly. "You're actually pretty cool when you're not trying to get in my pants. Can we just be normal friends? One without benefits, preferably?"

He looked my in the eyes and smiled lightly. "Yeah, I'd like that," he said, grinning. He hugged me loosely and I pet his hair. He pulled back and excitedly and said, "Hey, do you like gaming?!"

"Uh, yeah sure! I mean, I kind of suck at it, but it's fun!" I responded.

"Sweet, let's go!" he squealed happily.

We went into the living room where BEN quickly rushed over to the TV and turned it on along with the Wii. He plugged in Super Smash Bros and we started playing. He beat me pretty bad the first half hour, but I slowly started to get better. It got to where I could hold my own pretty well, and he was having to really try to keep his title. On the last round, I was playing as Pit and BEN was Meta Knight. We were tied with zero deaths and were about to go into a Sudden Death round. With ten seconds left on the timer, I managed to knock Meta Knight far enough away that he couldn't fly back up to the platform. BEN began panicking and cursing, pressing every single button in the hopes of saving his character. But alas, poor Meta Knight sank below the screen, and Pit came out victorious!

I don't think I've ever seen someone so crushed by losing at a video game. BEN sat there in utter shock, the controller hanging loosely in his hands, his mouth agape. L.J. walked into the room and began cackling hysterically.

"BEN, you should see your face! It's absolutely priceless!" L.J. howled.

BEN snarled angrily and leaped over the couch, tackling the laughing clown to the ground. "Shut up, L.J.! No one asked for your input!" he snarled angrily.

My eyes widened in surprise. "BEN, chill out. It's just a game."

"But I lost," he protested. "I never lose!"

"Well, now you have," I said. "So perhaps now you'll be more appreciative of winning."

BEN grumbled and climbed off of the still giggling L.J.

"And L.J., you be nice. Don't make fun of him," I said.

L.J. made a face, wrinkling his pointed nose in distaste. Then he rolled his eyes and sighed, "I guess I can be nice to ghosty goo. He does make good tech support," he said, grinning slightly.

BEN smiled and said, "Thanks L.J.! I knew you weren't just some pervy clown!"

"You're one to talk, you stoner stalker!" L.J. scoffed.

I giggled and said, "You guys really are pretty awesome."

They both blushed lightly, L.J. stuttering, "Urgh, t-thanks Megan."

I smiled sweetly up at him before getting up and saying, "I think I'm going to wander around outside a bit, if that's all right."

"OK, see ya Megan!" BEN called after me.

I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed an apple for lunch before heading out the door and into the surrounding forest.

I never stopped to think that it might be dangerous to go alone.


	7. Chapter 7

I began to wander through the forest, admiring my surroundings. I had to give Slenderman credit. He maintained his property beautifully. All of the trees were large and healthy, the forest floor was green and lush, and the shrubbery was clean cut and blooming. The sun was shining bright in the seemingly clear sky and the weather was absolutely perfect. I smiled and closed my eyes, allowing a soft breeze to brush over my skin and toy with my hair.

The only aspect of the forest that seemed off was the eerie silence. I didn't hear any insects, birds, or other creatures. As beautiful as the forest was, I was beyond unsettled. But, I walked on into the silent forest. After a few minutes I came into a clearing. The forest floor was carpeted with daffodils billowing in the breeze. It was so pretty and the ground looked so soft that I decided to lie down and allow my body to become enveloped by the vegetation.

I closed my eyes and began to drift off into a daydream. But after a few moments, I heard some leaves rustling. I ignored it. Probably just the wind, right? The sound continued. Then, a twig snapped. I tensed up, my senses heightening significantly, and listened closely. It's probably just one of the guys, right? Right?

I sat up and gazed into the forest where I thought the sound was coming from. I couldn't see anyone though. I would call out, but I'd seen enough horror movies to know that'd be a bad idea. I stood up and began to quickly walk out of the clearing. The sound of rustling leaves continued to follow me. I picked up my pace and the rustling did as well. Soon, I was running as quickly as I could and the rustling turned to crashing. But in a moment, I was tumbling forward, flipping over myself and landing face first into the dirt.

I turned onto my back and screamed in terror. A pale, gangly creature that looked to be about three feet tall was bounding toward me, its clawed arms outstretched in my direction and its beady, black eyes seeming to bore into my soul. It let out an angry snarl, pouncing to kill. I covered my face and prepared for the end.

But, the end didn't come. I heard an angry snarl, a sickening crunch, and the creature yelp in pain. I looked up and saw E.J. standing over the creature, a scalpel held tight in his fist. The creature shook its head and got up, preparing to strike at E.J.. He jumped out of the way and drove his scalpel through the creatures abdomen, causing it to shriek in pain, its blood splattering across E.J.'s hoodie and dripping down to the ground. He ran toward me and lifted me to my feet, running with me toward the mansion.

"E.J., what was that thing?!" I shrieked in terror.

"That was the Rake," he answered gruffly. "He works for Zalgo. And if he's here, that means others probably are as well. We need to get back and warn the others."

Right as he finished speaking, the Rake came crashing through the woods, bounding toward us angrier than ever. E.J. growled and turned around, facing the Rake. He yelled back,"Get to the mansion and tell them we're under attack! Hurry!"

I nodded, watching in concern as E.J. and the Rake became locked in battle, and sprinted toward the mansion, as quickly as I could. The trees whizzed by as a ran. I'm not sure what possessed me to do so, but I glanced to the left and saw a flash of blue color rush by me. It stopped a few yards in front of my path. I came to a speedy halt and stared at the creature in front of me. The creature looked like Sonic the Hedgehog, but his eyes had a similar appearance to BEN's, his claws were longer, and his fur was matted with blood. He grinned wickedly at me and ran at me. The next thing I knew, I was knocked off my feet and pinned to the ground.

"Someone help me!" I called out desperately. The Sonic lookalike raised his claws to deliver a fatal blow. I grimaced, waiting for the pain. But instead, a black tentacle appeared and wrapped around the unsuspecting creature, lifting him off the ground and throwing him into a tree. White hands appeared and gently lifted me to my feet. A turned and wrapped my arms around Slenderman, hugging him tightly. I didn't care that he was going to kill me later on. I was just happy he saved me.

We teleported into the living room, startling everyone with our sudden appearance. "They're here. Prepare to fight," Slenderman commanded. They leapt to their feet, some running to get weapons and others heading straight out the door. "BEN, you know what to do." Slenderman removed my arms from around his waist, causing me to blush since I didn't realize I was still clutching him, and teleported outside.

BEN walked up and took my hand. "Come with me," he said. "I'll take you somewhere safe." He turned and shouted up the stairs, "Sally, come down here! Quickly!"

"I'm coming!" she called back.

I glanced over at BEN and saw him wearing a nervous expression. I was going to say something, but Sally came sprinting down the stairs, a teddy bear gripped tightly in her arms. She tackled him, causing him to stumble backwards a few steps. He took her hand and wrapped his other arm around my waist, leading us to the farthest door in the hallway. He opened the door which opened to a long set of spiral stairs. We ran down as quickly as we could, locking the door behind us and flipping a switch on the wall for light, and huddled together in the farthest corner of the room. Sally whimpered quietly and curled up in my lap. BEN kept his arm wrapped around me protectively while I leaned against his chest. We stayed quiet for a long time, unable to hear anything going on outside.

After a while, BEN spoke up in an effort to diffuse the tension. "Wow Megan, I never thought you'd willingly be so close to me," he joked, forcing a chuckle.

I curled into his chest and groaned quietly. "BEN, at this point I could honestly care less." Silence again. "Do you think the others will be OK?" I asked nervously.

He stared straight ahead, staring blankly. "...I don't know. Last time there was a fight, L.J. almost died. The time before that, Jeff got beat up pretty badly. I mean, we had Splendorman, Trenderman, and Offenderman helping us, but they're not fighters. Having Slenderman back should improve our odds. By how much, I can't say."

Sally cried quietly in my arms. "BEN, I don't want any of them to die," she cried, hiccuping.

"I don't either Sally," he said quietly.

We stayed silent after that, hugging each other and hoping. It seemed like we were down there forever. There was no way to tell how much time was actually passing.

A soft pop resonated through the room, causing Sally and me to both yelp in fear. Standing in the middle of the room was Splendorman. He had a few scratches on his body, but otherwise he looked like his normal, cheery self. Sally leapt up and ran to him, hugging his leg tightly. He chuckled softly.

"It's safe to come up you three. The fight is over," he said with a grin.

BEN and I glanced at each other and got to our feet. "Is anyone hurt?" BEN asked anxiously.

"A few scratches here and there, but overall everyone is fine," Splendorman said gleefully.

BEN and I'm both grinned widely and ran up the stairs. We got to the living room and saw everyone collapsed on the couches and floor. E.J. looked to be injured the worst, multiple cuts layering his arms and torso. Slenderman's suit was torn in multiple places, strips of cloth hanging from his body. Jane was sitting in a chair, her head tilted backwards and her dress was ripped along the bottom. Jeff's hoodie was missing, probably torn during a fight, and he was lying on the floor with his torso bare. L.J. was sitting on a couch, one of his suspenders cut and his striped socks holey. Offenderman was leaning against a wall, looking like his usual self, and Trenderman was muttering to himself about how everyone's outfits were tattered. The three proxies were standing behind Slenderman, looking tired but otherwise fine.

Slenderman saw BEN and me walk in and seemed to sigh in relief. "Well, I'm glad to see the both of you are all right. Where's Sally?"

"I'm here!" she giggled, appearing with Splendorman at the entrance to the hallway.

I walked over and sat on the couch by E.J. and hugged him loosely, trying not to hurt him any. "Thank you for saving me earlier," I said, kissing his cheek.

He blushed darkly and chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You're welcome Megan."

"Gonna let me in on some of that?" Jeff smirked. I stuck my tongue out at him and grinned.

L.J. came and sat by me. "Are you all right Megan?"

I smiled softly. "I'm fine L.J., thank you. I hope you're all right." He smiled and nodded, handing me a candy which I gladly took.

Slenderman cleared his throat and we all turned to face him. "We, I'd like to begin by saying that I believe we all responded well to this threat. I'm glad to see that we all came out relatively unscathed. Now, tomorrow we need to begin training and formulating a plan of attack. It's high time we stopped letting them come to us and instead go to them. We have the numbers and we have the power that I believe we can finally put this matter to rest."

"Finally!" Jeff shouted, jumping to his feet. "It's about time we got some revenge!" Others mumbled in agreement.

Slenderman turned to his brothers. "Splendorman and Trenderman, I would ask that the both of you protect BEN, Sally, and Megan when we attack. No offense BEN, but you're not much of a fighter. If there was to be a counterattack while we were away, you would need help to defend yourselves. Though, I do think a bit of training is in order. For you as well, Megan"

I looked at him in shock. "You want me to learn to fight?" I asked in confusion.

"Yes, I do," he responded. "You need to be able to protect yourself." I was going to mention that he was going to kill me anyway, but I decided against it. But alas, Jeff brought it up for me.

"Slendy, you're going to kill her anyway. Why the hell should we waste our time teaching her to fight?"

I gulped nervously. Slenderman growled, "Because, Jeffrey, she will continue to be my victim during the fight and I don't want her getting killed when she's mine do with as I please."

Toby gave me a sympathetic look and L.J. gave me an encouraging hug. "Don't worry gum drop. It'll be OK," L.J whispered in my ear. I forced a smile, but I knew I was still going to die. The sooner they fight back, the sooner Slenderman would murder me. I leaned into L.J.'s chest, a single tear dripping down my cheek and landing on his pants leg. He rubbed my shoulder comfortingly, trying to calm me down.

Suddenly, we heard a loud, booming voice resonating throughout the house. The voice seemed to be coming from every yet nowhere. Most of the pastas scowled, Jeff even letting out an angry growl. Slenderman, strangely, seemed very calm in his demeanor.

"My, my, you all have certainly improved your fighting. Amazing the difference of having dear old Slenderman with you makes," the voice purred. "Though I never would have expected him as a softy. I mean, protecting a human? How low do you plan to stoop?"

I could feel everyone's eyes lock on me. I hugged myself and kept my eyes glued to the floor. I wondered briefly if they could see me shaking.

The voice chuckled. "And poor Laughing Jack! I imagine he believes you plan to keep her when you're through, as does your newest Toby. My, won't that be fun to witness."

I curled up tighter in a vain effort to make myself feel better. "Don't cower from me girl!" the voice snarled. "Though, you do have right to fear me. The 'Lord of Chaos' spares no one." Addressing the rest, "Realize you fools that your dearest leader will die, and you will all be mine."

And then, the voice was gonna as quickly as it had appeared. We all sat quietly, unease spreading throughout the room. The tension was unbearable.

I cleared my throat. "W-what was that?" I whimpered softly.

Slenderman walked over and leaned down to my level. "That was Zalgo, Megan, the one who sent those others to attack us."

I nodded. "And you're going to go fight him?"

"Yes," Slenderman stated confidently. "And we will defeat him. He won't hurt you, I promise."

I smiled softly. "I'm not worried. I know you guys are strong."

"Damn straight," Jeff muttered.

Slenderman placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed softly. "You will be safe here. I always keep my promises."

I nodded. "I trust you, Slenderman. I trust all of you," I said with a small smile.

"Well, I think we've all worked hard enough for today," Slenderman declared. "You're all free for the rest of the day. We'll start training tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the day consisted of an odd range of emotions throughout the pasta household. Some, like Jeff, E.J., and Jane, were extremely enthusiastic about the looming fight and excited to start training the next day. Others, like BEN, Sally, L.J., and myself, were more hesitant. Obviously, I was unsure of the fighting given all results would mean my eventual death and I'd also never fought a day in my life. The others were simply worried about each other. Sure, they were all psychotic killers with no qualms whatsoever about murder, but having lived under the same roof for so long, they'd obviously grown fond of each other and were concerned for each other's safety. Not to say I wasn't worried about them as well, but my life was more of a priority at the moment.

I'm not sure what was going on inside Slenderman's head. Immediately after dismissing us, he disappeared upstairs to his office along with his brothers and proxies. I assumed they were trying to formulate some sort of strategy. I didn't see any of them for the remainder of the day. It was surprisingly quiet without Toby around to bother everyone.

I decided to occupy my free time with the internet. BEN was nice enough to allow me to use the computer in his room. Surprisingly, the mansion had an amazing WiFi connection. I logged onto my YouTube account and began catching up on all my subscriptions. Thankfully, the videos brightened my mood significantly, even causing me to release a few laughs here and there. After a while of watching videos, L.J. poked his head into the room to see what my giggling was about. When he saw I was watching some videos, he entered the room and joined me, laughing twice as hard as I was. It felt great being able to laugh so freely again. I hadn't laughed so hard since Leslie was alive.

After a few hours of watching videos, L.J. turned to me and asked, "Hey, Megan, would you like to see something fun?"

I giggled, a huge grin still plastered on my face. "Sure!"

He smiled mischievously and took my hand. "Close your eyes."

I did as he asked and waited for him to pull me along somewhere. Instead, I heard a soft pop and smelled a strong scent of candy.

"OK, you can open your eyes now," L.J. said.

When I did, I saw we were standing in the middle of a large, monochrome circus. There were various games with rather chilling looking stuffed animals for prizes. "Pop Goes the Weasel" played through speakers outside of a large tent in the center of the circus. My eyes grew wide as I took in my surroundings. "L.J., this place is marvelous!" I gasped in awe.

He grinned proudly. "This is my home outside of Slendy's mansion. I like to come here when I'm bored or sad. It cheers me up and it's lots of fun. It's even more fun when there's someone to share it with."

I giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards some of the games. "Well, there's no sense in just looking at it. Let's have some fun!"

We played all the games and had tons of fun, laughing till our stomachs hurt and our faces turned red. I could understand how he so easily lured children to their deaths. He was so much fun! And his cheerful mood could brighten anyone's day.

After a while, I glanced up at the sky and noticed how dark it was. I wondered just how long we had been there. Sure, it was fun goofing off with L.J., but I didn't want to be exhausted when we started training. And I definitely didn't want to piss Slenderman off for disappearing.

I glanced over at L.J. and asked, "Shouldn't we be getting back to the mansion? It looks like it's pretty late. And we do have training tomorrow."

L.J. pouted and hugged me against his chest. Whining like a child, he groaned," But we're having so much fun! I don't want to go back. Can't we stay for a little longer?"

I giggled at his childishness but argued, saying, "Slenderman will be mad at us if we stay gone. He might be already. We really should get back."

"But, Meeeegaaaaan. I don't want to," he whined, hugging me closer and nuzzling my cheek with his pointed nose.

I sighed and gently pushed his head away and forced him to look at me. "We can come back later, OK? But we really do need to go back, L.J.." I stated firmly.

L.J. pouted but let me go, muttering, "Fine. I guess you're right." He took my hand again and we appeared in the living room, causing Smile Dog to leap up in surprise. When he realized it was us though, he wagged his tail happily and trotted over, nudging my leg for attention. I chuckled softly and scratched him behind the ears, making him wag his tail faster. I was so engrossed with petting Smile Dog that I didn't realize I was still holding L.J.'s hand.

L.J. cleared his throat to get my attention. I stopped petting Smile Dog (much to his disappointment) and looked up at L.J.. I noticed a light blush dusted his cheeks.

"Er, are you all right, L.J.?" I asked.

He grinned, chuckling softly. "Perfectly fine, gum drop. As you said earlier, though, it's late. So, I'll be off to bed now. Good night." That said, he quickly pecked my cheek and disappeared to his room.

I blushed darkly, frozen still in shock. Then, I heard Smile Dog's tail whacking against the couch. Glancing over, I noticed his tongue hanging out of his mouth, a smirk seeming to be planted on his face. I let out a "hmph" and headed upstairs to my room.

Before I could make it to the stairs, though, I was intercepted by an agitated looking Slenderman. His hands were balled into fists and his tentacles were coiled tensely. "And where, exactly, have you been for the past few hours?" he growled menacingly.

I whimpered softly and backed up a couple of steps. "I-I was with L.J.. He took me to his home. W-we were just hanging out," I squeaked nervously.

Slenderman mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch. "I see," he muttered. "Well, I'll just have to have a discussion with our dear clown."

"W-wait! Don't get mad at him. He was only trying to lighten the mood. H-honest!" I protested. L.J. was such a sweetie. I didn't want him to get in trouble for trying to cheer me up.

Slenderman hesitated for a moment then nodded stiffly. "Very well. Just don't run off again. I want you to stay here. Even with one of us, it's dangerous for you to leave here. I don't want you to get hurt."

I nodded, forcing a small smile. "OK. I understand. I won't leave again."

He relaxed significantly when I said that and patted my head. "Thank you, child." Then, he disappeared into the kitchen.

I eyed Slenderman's disappearing form quizzically. That was odd even for him. I mean, I understand not wanting me to run off or anything, but I was with L.J.. The guy's harmless! If I didn't know any better, I'd say I detected a bit of... Jealousy? Surely not. That's just absurd.

I shook my head clear of these thoughts and yawned tiredly. I'd been out far too late. I was definitely in need of sleep. I wondered briefly how some of them could stay up so late and get up so early without feeling exhausted but shrugged it off. They were probably just used to it.

However, before I could begin ascending the stairs to my room, I was tackled to the floor by an anxious Masky. "Megan, h-heeeelp," he whined, partially hiding behind me.

I sighed in frustration. "What is it, Masky?"

"T-Toby is b-bothering me again," he grumbled bitterly.

Moments later, a hyperactive Toby came bounding down the stairs shouting, "Hey, Masky!" with Hoodie close on his heels in attempts to stop him. I got to my feet and stood in front of the staircase, arms crossed and an unamused expression on my face, forcing the two proxies to come to a sudden halt. Well, they would have come to a halt had Hoodie not crashed into Toby and caused them both to tumble down the remaining steps. I quickly stepped out of the way and allowed them to hit the floor with a loud thud. Hoodie quickly scrambled to his feet and came to stand by Masky somewhat protectively. Toby grinned cheekily up at us from the floor.

"Hey, Megan!" he said cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes and uncrossed my arms. "Toby, why are you bothering Masky again?"

"He's bored and feels the need to pick on people," muttered Hoodie. Toby simply continued to grin innocently.

I sighed in annoyance. "Look, Toby, I get that you feel the need to be bothersome, but do you always have to target Masky?"

He shrugged, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "He's just easy to pick on."

Masky groaned and hid further behind me. I growled angrily. This was getting really old really fast. "Toby, you need to stop picking on Masky. It's not fair to him and there are plenty of other people in this house for you to bother. Do I make myself clear?"

"But - ," he tried to interject.

"No buts, Toby! I've heard enough of this! Knock it off!"

"Oi, there's people trying to sleep here! Shut the hell up!" Jeff called from his room.

I glared in the direction of Jeff's room before redirecting my attention to Toby.

Toby pouted and hung his head. "Yeah, fine, I'll stop," he muttered.

I smiled in relief. "Good. Now I'm going to get some sleep. Good night, guys."

I made my way up the stairs and down the hallway when I heard Masky shout, "Megan, wait!" I stopped walking and turned to see him jogging down the hallway toward me. He came up to me and hugged me tightly. "T-thanks for that, what y-you did a minute ago. I really a-appreciate it."

I smiled warmly at him, hugging him back. "No problem, Masky."

He shifted a bit so one arm was free and he lifted his mask up a few inches so his mouth was visible. He swiftly leaned forward and kissed my cheek. I noticed a dark blush on his face as he lowered his mask back in place. "G-good night!" he stuttered, quickly running off. I gently placed my fingers to the place where he kissed me. First L.J., now Masky? Not to mention Slenderman's odd attitude earlier. This was just getting weird. I sighed and went to my room, quietly sneaking in so as not to wake Jane and Sally. I curled up on my spot on the floor and attempted to clear my head of the day's strange events. I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

I slept soundly for what felt like the first time in months, curled up into a tight little ball on the floor. However, residing within the creepypasta manor, I should have known better than to think that would last. I screeched loudly and jolted upright, sputtering and gasping as a bucket of ice water came into contact with my warm body. After a moment of attempting to regain my bearings, I saw Jane standing over me and laughing hysterically with a bucket hanging loosely from her hands. I leapt to my feet and glared daggers at her.

"What the bloody hell was that for?!" I screeched angrily.

Jane simply responded by laughing harder. In between her fits of giggles, she gasped out, "You *snicker* sh-should have seen *gasp* your face!" She fell to the floor in another round of laughter.

I growled angrily and snatched the pail from her fingers, proceeding to bean the side of her head with it. She quickly ceased her laughter and snarled, attempting to punch me. However, I quickly dodged her arms and bolted out the room into the bathroom. I slammed the door shut and locked it before sliding down to the floor, attempting to suppress the sobs that were clawing at my throat. "I hate it here," I whispered bitterly.

I jolted as I felt the door rattle from Jane beating on it. "Open up, you dumb bitch!" she shouted furiously.

"Fuck you, Jane!" I screamed back at her.

She snarled angrily and returned to attempting to break the door down. Aside from the sound of splintering wood, I heard Jeff yell, "What the hell is your deal?!"

The pounding stopped and I heard he and Jane struggling.

After a few moments, I heard a soft thud and Jane snarl, "Get the hell off of me!"

Jeff growled in annoyance, "Not until you say why you were trying to break the door down."

"That fucking human that Slenderdick brought here hit my face with a bucket!" she screeched.

"Only because she threw ice water on me while I was sleeping!" I protested.

Jeff snorted and said, "You really threw ice water on her? That's bitchy even for you. No wonder the chick got pissed."

Jane snarled again and spat, "No one asked for your opinion, Jeffrey! Now fuck off!"

Jeff scoffed and retorted, "Well, in case you've all forgotten, I asked for some quiet. But your little shenanigans interrupted my beauty sleep. So consider a pail to the face your punishment. Besides, you're a killer, Jane, not some teenage bitch. Fucking act like one."

After he said that, I heard another thud and footsteps scurrying down the hallway. Jeff released a quiet string of curses before rapping on the door. "You can come out now. She left," Jeff muttered.

I cracked the door open and peaked my head into the hallway. "Y-you're sure?" I questioned tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm fucking sure. What, you think I'm lying?" Jeff growled.

I sighed sadly and opened the door completely. Jeff whistled softly, eying me up and down. "Damn, she really did get you."

"Yeah, no shit," I mumbled bitterly.

Suddenly, Slenderman appeared beside us, appearing rather agitated and causing Jeff and I both to jump in surprise. "Geez, don't do that!" Jeff remarked angrily.

"Quiet, Jeffrey," Slenderman snapped. "Now, what's this Jane was saying

about - ?" That's when he took notice of my wet clothes. "Megan, why are you all wet?" he questioned tentatively.

"Because Jane the Bitch decided to dump a bucket of water on her in her sleep," Jeff muttered.

"Thank you for that wonderful comment, Jeffrey," Slenderman grumbled sarcastically.

"Yeah, whatever," Jeff sighed in annoyance. "I'm gonna get some food," he said, heading toward the staircase.

Once Jeff had disappeared, Slenderman turned back to me and said, "I suppose we should get you some dry clothes. Come with me." With that, he began walking down the hall. I followed behind him, jogging to keep up with his long strides.

He came to stop in front of a black door. He knocked on the door which was quickly answered by E.J.. He cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. "Er... Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Jack," Slenderman responded dryly. "Do you happen to have a spare sweatshirt? Megan, here, had a run in with Jane this morning and is in need of some dry clothes."

Jack spotted me hiding behind Slenderman in embarrassment. "Megan? What happened to you," he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I have a spare sweatshirt." That said, he turned and disappeared back into the room.

As E.J. was rummaging through his clothes, I heard someone clear his throat behind me. I turned and saw L.J. eying me curiously. "Um, what's going on? And why are you all wet, Megan?"

I groaned and hid my face in my hands. "Please, don't ask," I muttered, my face turning a shade of pink.

E.J. returned to the door, sweatshirt in hand. "Here you go. Oh, hey L.J.," he said, handing the sweatshirt to Slenderman. He stepped to the side and let L.J. pass into the room.

Slenderman took my hand and began pulling me away once again. I turned my head and mouthed a quick thank you to E.J. who smiled in return before stumbling on behind the tall being. Once out of sight, we teleported into a relatively large, dimly lit room with a long bed with a black comforter and a large mahogany desk in the far corner with multiple papers and various fountain pens scattered about the top.

He released my hand and stepped into a side door in what seemed to be a large bathroom. He reappeared with a large towel and silently handed it to me. I slowly began to dry off and curiously eyed Slenderman as he laid E.J.'s sweatshirt on the bed.

"Uh... Thank you for the help," I mumbled quietly.

Slenderman turned back toward me. "You're welcome, child. And do not worry about Jane. She will be dealt with promptly."

"T-that's not necessary!" I protested quickly. I didn't want her to hate me more than she already did. At this rate, she'd probably be more likely to kill me than Slenderman.

Slenderman cocked his head to the side. "Why are you so quick to defend others when they've obviously upset you? I don't understand this. I've never encountered a human so willing to accept emotional pain."

I simply shrugged my shoulder. "I guess I'm just not fond of confrontation. Besides, when someone already hates you, why make it worse? It seems like you'd just be digging yourself into a deeper hole than you're already in."

"You could always kill them, you know. Or at least defend yourself," Slenderman retorted.

I released a sharp laugh. "I'm not like you guys," I mumbled, a humorless smile on my face. "I don't just go around killing people when they upset me. And I know I should defend myself, and I think I probably could, but as I said, I'm non confrontational."

Slenderman sighed and said, "One day, Megan, you will learn."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked curiously.

He approached and lifted my chin up with one of his tentacles. "I see so much potential in you. You could be so strong, you know, and yet you choose to hide behind a soft mask. I don't understand this."

I stepped backwards out of his touch and shot him a sharp glare. "What do you care what sort of potential I have or whether or not I hide behind a mask? You're just going to kill me anyway...," I responded.

He remained silent for a moment. I halfway wished I could see his face so I could know what sort of expression he was making. Then he murmured, "We all must die some day. But that doesn't mean our final days must be a waste." With that said, he turned and walked towards the door. Glancing back he muttered stiffly, "Make sure you grab some breakfast after you change. You'll need your energy for your training."


	10. Chapter 10

I stood in one spot rather stunned for quite some time. I had no idea what to think of the encounter with Slenderman. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounded as if he cared. But that's absurd. I had no doubt he was going to kill me and refused to start believing otherwise. I shook my head and began to peel the wet clothes off of my skin. Once off, I tossed them into a corner of the room. I walked over to the bed and pulled E.J.'s sweatshirt over my head. It was too big, swallowing me whole with the sleeves going past my hands, and the fabric smelled faintly of blood, but it was warm and dry and emitted a surprisingly pleasant feel. I smiled contentedly and giggled at the thought of how ridiculous his sweatshirt must look on my smaller frame.  
I sighed and exited the room, heading downstairs to grab something to eat. When I entered the kitchen, I saw almost everyone was bustling about. I glanced at the far corner of the room and saw Jane leaning against the wall, a near tangible aura of hate emanating off her body as she glared daggers at me. I gulped and grabbed a bowl of cereal before quickly taking a seat beside BEN.   
BEN shot me a curious smile and said, "Hey, Megan. Er... Why are you in E.J.'s hoodie?"   
I suppressed a groan and answered, "Long story. I'll explain later."   
"It's not a long story," Jeff scoffed from across the table. "Jane was being her normal bitchy self and thought it'd be a brilliant idea to wake her up with a bucket of ice water. Then she got pissed when Megan hit her over the head with a bucket. E.J. must have lent her his sweatshirt so she wouldn't have to stay in wet clothes."   
I released the groan I'd been holding in and laid my forehead against the table, banging it softly against the wood. "Can't we just forget about it and move on?"   
"Good luck with that," Hoodie muttered from a few chairs down. "Jane is known for having a vengeance complex. I'd watch my back if I were you."   
"Gee, thanks for the advice," I retorted dryly. He shrugged and went back to eating (surprise) cheesecake.   
BEN gave me an encouraging grin and said, "If it makes you feel any better, you look super adorable dressed like that."   
I giggled softly and elbowed him playfully. "Thanks, BEN. That's sweet of you."   
But of course, Trenderman just HAD to speak up and say, "I swear, you people wouldn't know fashion if it hit you dead in the face. She looks atrocious dressed like that. Now if I were to dress her, she'd look absolutely stunning."   
"Is he ever not annoying?" I mumbled to BEN.   
He snickered and shook his head. "Nah, Trendy is always a major diva. Though to his credit, he's very good at what he does. Just not for any of us."   
I nodded and returned to silently eating my breakfast while everyone else talked among themselves. Within 20 minutes, everyone had finished eating and was exiting to the backyard area. Looking around, I gaped at all the obstacles and weapons scattered about the large area. "Wow," I managed to get out of my dazed state.   
"Pretty awesome, right?" Toby piped up, walking to my side.   
I simply nodded, my eyes taking in everything. "I am so gonna die, " I mumbled.   
He laughed and patted my back. "You'll be fine! I'm sure Slendy will pair you up with some of us more your speed. Maybe BEN or something since you'll both be staying here. Or maybe he'll pair you up with E.J. or Jeff just to see how well you handle a really hard fight." He shrugged. "Who knows?"   
I sighed and mumbled, "Just as long as he doesn't pair me with Jane."   
After a few minutes, Slenderman appeared in the center of the area and called us toward him. He began announcing names and pairing people up. L.J. was paired with Jeff, E.J. with BEN, Jane with Masky, Hoodie with Toby, Offenderman with Trenderman, Splendorman with Smile Dog, and Sally stayed inside since she was too young to fight. That just left me and Slenderman. I gulped and stared up at the being towering over me. Based off of recent encounters, I was genuinely nervous about how this would turn out. Is this how he planned to kill me? Out in the open in front of everyone? Appearing to give me a fighting chance but really only toying with me? I couldn't stop my thoughts as they spiraled out of control, leaping to the worst conclusions.   
Slenderman cleared his throat and brought me back to attention. He silently extended his hand which I hesitantly took hold of and he transported us to the far end of the training area which was a fair distance away from the others. He released my hand and took a step back. "I realize you're likely wondering why I didn't pair you up with one of the others," he said flatly. He continued, "Seeing as you've never fought before and are still rather unwilling to learn to, I thought it best to begin teaching you myself. Not to say that you won't be paired with the others later, but I want to see what all you're capable of, how far you need to be pushed, plus I don't exactly trust some of the others to take your humanity into account."   
"U-um... OK," I squeaked nervously.   
"Do not be so fearful, child. I have no intentions to harm you, merely to train you," he spoke, his voice a bit softer.   
"S-so what now?" I asked nervously.   
Slenderman stood in silent contemplation a moment before saying, "I suppose a good place to start would be seeing what sort of reflexes you have. Once those become somewhat decent, we'll move on to defensive tactics. For now, I'll make things simple. I'll try to attack you and you must dodge my movements. I assume that's not too difficult for you."   
I let out a small "hmph" in indignation. "Yeah, fine," I muttered. Without another word, Slenderman crouched down and lunged at me. I yelped in surprise and fell backwards. His hands pinned down my arms while his tentacles nabbed my ankles.   
"Dead," he stated flatly, returning to his original position.   
I sat up, pouting slightly. "I wasn't ready," I mumbled.   
"Do you really think an enemy is going to allow you time to 'get ready?'" Slenderman retorted. "You must be alert at all times. Now, get up and try again."   
I muttered sourly under my breath but did as he said, getting to my feet. This time, I took a more defensive stance and tensed my muscles. But he didn't move his body at all. Instead, some of his tentacles shot out from behind his back and raced toward me. I just now realized how sharp they were. I dodged the first one and leaped out of the way of the second one. I ducked quickly, narrowly avoiding the third. As I dodged the fourth, I gained a bold idea. Without warning, I sprinted at Slenderman and dove between his legs. I thought I might be able to trick his tentacles into tripping him, but no such luck. Rather, he simply grabbed me by the waist with his hands and lifted me up mid run. I growled and struggled some in his grip, eliciting a humored chuckle from the tall being.   
"A daring move but one that would only work on unskilled enemies. However, I applaud your creativity. That was better. Now, again." He set me down, an invisible smirk plastered onto his face from my obvious frustration. I released a string of silent curses and readied myself, prepared for whatever he intended to throw at me. Slenderman chuckled and disappeared causing me to gape openly at the spot where he once stood.   
"Seriously?!" I yelled shrilly. I spun around, frantically attempting to locate him. Suddenly, I ran face first into him and fell backwards toward the ground. But before I hit the dirt, his tentacles gently wrapped around my waist and pulled me upright. I growled angrily and lunged at the tall being, attempting to tackle him to the ground. Instead, my smaller frame ended up hugging him childishly, making him chuckle again.   
"You know, I think you're getting a little too much enjoyment out of this," I mumbled bitterly into the fabric of his suit.   
He patted my head and replied, "Perhaps, but can I be blamed? It's been quite some time since I trained a human. My apologies if I'm finding it entertaining."   
"Yeah, well can you have a little less fun with it?" I asked, annoyed. I wasn't fond of being laughed at, after all.   
"I could always try to hurt you. Would that make things better for you?" he questioned, a smirk plain by the sound of his voice.   
I exhaled sharply, a pout etched into my face. "No...."   
Slenderman hummed victoriously and chuckled, " I thought not." He untangled my arms from around his waist and said in a more serious voice, "If it makes you feel any less abused, you're performing much better than I expected. I'm sure that with more practice, you'll become quite the challenger. Not to say you'll be within the same ranks as, say, Jeff or Eyeless Jack, but I think you'll definitely be able to hold your own."   
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "Really?"   
Slenderman nodded. "Yes, really. But enough pleasantries. Back to training." And just like that we had returned to a series of attacks and dodges. We continued on for a few hours when Slenderman brought everything to a halt in order to announce a lunch break. Practically everyone looked exhausted, sweat dripping from skin and breathing heavy. A select few had gashes along their bodies from their partners getting overzealous with the fighting. We all collapsed into chairs around the kitchen table, cold drinks in our hands and thanking our lucky stars for air conditioning. Slenderman, oddly enough, along with his brothers, didn't seem tired at all and made sandwiches for all of us. Some scarfed the food down ravenously while others took their time. It was certainly easy to tell who put the most effort into fighting and who didn't.   
I sighed and set the remaining half of my sandwich back on the plate. I wasn't all that hungry anyway. Strangely enough, I felt rather giddy. Though I hated to admit it to myself, I quite enjoyed training with Slenderman. Somehow, he managed to make it fun. Or maybe I was more in my element than I realized. I didn't know which, but I couldn't decide if I should be concerned or pleased with myself.   
E.J. took notice of my thoughtful expression and decided to strike up a conversation. "So, Megan, how's training going?"  
"Huh?... O-oh! Right. It's all right, I guess," I answered rather absentmindedly.   
"OK... Er, you haven't eaten much. Aren't you hungry?" he questioned.   
I shook my head and responded, "Not really. Honestly, I'm not hungry at all."   
He cocked his head to the side, a hint of concern to his voice. "Are you feeling all right? You seem a bit... off compared to usual."   
I grinned brightly at him. "Actually, I'm feeling the best I have in weeks! I never thought this could be so exhilarating."   
E.J. hummed, still seeming rather unconvinced. That's when L.J. decided to pipe up. "I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself, gumdrop. I can't wait to see what sort of fighter Slendy turns you into," he purrs, a cheeky grin spread across his lips.   
I giggle shrilly, an almost psychotic edge to it. Typically, I would have been rather concerned by my actions, but I was running on an adrenaline high. And I didn't seem to be coming down from it any time soon.   
Once everyone had finished eating and had rested up some, Slenderman announced for everyone to return to training. I continued his little game of attack and dodge, grinning widely the entire time. He tried various tactics, praising me when I did well and criticizing areas that needed improvement. It didn't seem like all that long before it grew dark and we drew our first training session to a close.   
"You've done quite well today," Slenderman commented, walking back to the mansion with me.   
I beamed up at the tall being. "Thanks!" I chirped happily.   
"You know, you seem quite different from the girl who first stepped foot onto the field this morning." I hummed in agreement. "I hope to see more of this new you," he continued, a strange tone to his voice. Slenderman took hold of my hand, tugging me to a halt. I glanced expectingly to the tall entity. "Megan?"   
"Yes, Slenderman?" I questioned curiously.   
He hesitated a moment before quickly responding, "Sleep well, my child."   
I cocked an eyebrow but nodded, saying, "You too." I pulled my hand away, speed walking into the mansion and up to my bedroom. Jane shot me a glare while Sally ran over and gave me a tight hug.   
"Megan, I missed you today!" she squealed. "I'm glad you're back. It was lonely without being around anyone."   
I chuckled softly at her cuteness, patting her head gingerly. "I'm sure it was, Sally. But we're here now. And it won't be like this forever."   
Her green orbs sparkled happily. "It won't?"   
I shook my head. "Nope! As soon as Slenderman has everyone trained and they go defeat Zalgo and his followers, everything will be even better than it was before."   
"Yay!" she cheered excitedly. Then, she released me and ran over, jumping onto her bed. "Well, good night!" she chirped before snuggling under her sheets.   
I smiled warmly. "Good night, Sally." I glanced over at Jane who was still glaring at me venomously. I sighed and said, "Good night, Jane."   
"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled, melodramatically falling backwards onto her bed.   
I curled up onto the floor and pulled the sheet up to my chin. Slenderman was definitely right when he said I was a different person from the girl who woke up this morning. But honestly... I think I liked the new me too.


	11. Chapter 11

I heaved out a quiet sigh and glanced around the darkened bedroom. It'd been a long time, a couple hours at least, since everyone went to bed, and I still couldn't fall asleep. Turning onto my back, I glanced at the two sleeping figures I was rooming with. Jane was sprawled out on her bed, right hand hanging out over the edge of the bed and left leg sticking out from under the sheets at an odd angle. Her face was pressed against her pillows and muffled snores escaped her lips. I cringed internally and thought, "I don't know how on earth she can sleep like that." Turning my head toward Sally, I saw she was still neatly tucked into her bed with a mangled teddy bear clutched against her chest.

I sighed again and softly banged my head against the floor. All I wanted to do was sleep! Why was that so hard to accomplish? I'll be exhausted when I finally do have to get up, and Slenderman will kill me if I'm sluggish during training.

Groaning quietly in defeat, I silently stand up from my position on the floor and ease my way out of the room into the hallway. There's no use in just laying on the ground so I might as well find something to do. I didn't imagine anyone else was awake so I'd be on my own till at least dawn. Sneaking into the kitchen, I made myself a small bowl of popcorn and made my way to the living room. I plopped down onto the floor in front of the couch. Setting the bowl of popcorn down next to me, I plugged in Majora's Mask and started playing. Of course the game was glitched. I mean, it was BEN's game after all. But regardless, it gave me something to do.

After about twenty minutes of having my character burn to death or drown, I sighed in boredom and turned off the game. Why was entertaining myself so difficult? I stuck my hand in the bowl and shoveled some popcorn into my mouth. I pulled myself up onto the couch and wrapped a blanket around myself.

In the silence, I heard a set of footsteps approaching from the staircase. Turning my head slightly, I noticed L.J. approaching. He noticed me staring at him and pouted childishly. "Drat, it's no fun if I can't sneak up on you," he mumbled.

"What are you doing up? I thought everyone else was asleep?" I questioned softly.

He shrugged, hiding his face a little behind his hair. "I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I... had something on my mind."

I nodded and turned back to the blank screen of the television. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I couldn't sleep either. I thought I'd come down here and play some videos games but playing alone just isn't as fun."

L.J. let out a soft "hmm" and sat beside me on the couch. "I certainly don't blame you. I'd get bored too. How about we watch a movie together? Maybe it won't seem so bad having someone with you." He grinned hopefully and watched me expectantly.

I smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "That's a wonderful idea! Do you have any suggestions?"

L.J. shrugged and stated, "I haven't seen 'The Conjuring' yet. Would you be interested in watching that?"

I nodded again and watched silently as L.J. set up the DVD player. He sat back down beside me and pressed play for the movie. As the opening credits began, he pulled me onto his lap and hugged me again this chest. I blushed darkly in embarrassment but stayed silent. After all, he was just being sweet. Besides, he was warm and comfy. I leaned back against his chest and prepared to enjoy the movie.

Once it came to an end, I let out a soft yawn and stretched my arms a little. L.J. set me back down beside him and sighed contentedly. "That wasn't a half bad movie," he stated calmly. "I've certainly seen worse."

I nodded in agreement and flashed a small grin. "Yeah, it was definitely pretty good."

We both went silent for a few moments. Glancing over at L.J., he looked almost as if he was blushing. I creased my brow in concern and confusion. "Er, are you feeling all right?"

He jolted a bit, startled, and laughed shrilly. "Yeah, I'm totally fine! Of COURSE I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be fine? I'm more than fine." I cocked an eyebrow and he sighed heavily. "All right, fine. Like I said when I came down here, I've had something on my mind. And I'm not sure how to go about... resolving things. But... I think perhaps my actions will speak louder than my words." That said, he pinned me down to the couch and forcefully pressed his lips to mine.

I laid there in shock for a few moments before pressing my palms to his chest and pushing against him. He paused his endeavor and looked at me in confusion. "What do you think you're doing?!" I hissed.

"Kissing you, of course," he replied with a cheeky grin. He quickly returned his lips to mine, moving them hungrily.

I growled and pushed harder against his chest. "L.J., stop!" I whisper yelled.

His eyebrows creased, a rather hurt look on his face. "What's wrong?"

I huffed in frustration and explained. "Look, L.J., you're a sweet guy, you really are. But I don't like you that way, OK? I just like you as a friend."

"O-oh," he mumbled sadly. "I see. S-sorry to bother you. I just... Never mind." He forced a small grin. "Just pretend this never happened."

"Thanks, L.J.. I appreciate it. Um... Could you get off please?" I asked, a small blush tinting my cheeks.

He blushed darkly in embarrassment. "U-uh yeah! Of course! Hehe, sorry."

Before he could move, though, we both heard a snarl and hurried footsteps dashing toward the couch. In mere seconds, L.J. had been pulled over the back of the couch and thrown to the floor.

I yelped in surprise and sat up quickly. L.J. laid on the floor, stunned, and a fuming Masky stood over him. "Don't you DARE touch her!" he snarled angrily.

"What the heck, Masky?!" I cried out, jumping up and helping L.J. to his feet.

Masky pulled me away from L.J. and crushed me against his chest. "S-she doesn't like you!" He glanced down at me and confidently stated, "Don't worry, Megan. I'll protect you from him."

I shoved him off and took a few steps back from them both. Glaring at them, I firmly stated, "You guys are both being absolutely ridiculous. I don't like either of you as more than friends, all right?! So quite with the advancements. I already had to deal with BEN and Offenderman. I don't need to add you guys to the list." In a softer voice, I added, "You guys are both really nice. You two are among the sweetest people here. But really, I'm not interested in being with either of you."

Masky clenched his fists and growled, "I knew it! S-she's interested in E.J.."

L.J. facepalmed. "No, you idiot! She's not interested in any of us! R-right?"

I nodded quickly. "Exactly. So get any thoughts about dating out of your heads. It's not happening."

Masky seemed to physically deflate. "O-oh," he responded quietly. "I-I see. S-sorry."

I groaned and shoved past them both. "I'm going back to bed so I can try to get some sleep. Goodnight."

They both stood dumbly for a few moments before glancing sheepishly at each other and silently returning to their rooms. I glanced at the time and saw it would only be a couple hours till dawn. Groaning again, I reentered my borrowed room and crashed down to the floor.

I heard a quiet moan and glanced up in time to see Jane shoot me a nasty glare. "What the fuck have you been doing? Are you trying to wake the whole house?"

I heaved out a frustrated sigh before responding, "Sorry, Jane. I had to deal with a small... disagreement."

She snorted and muttered, "Whatever. Just keep it quiet. I'm trying to sleep here."

I rolled my eyes and turned onto my side. Laying my head on the pillow, I shut my eyes and mentally cursed my life. Who knew living with killers could be so frustrating?


	12. Chapter 12

Exhausted as I became after the scuffle with Masky and L.J., I fell asleep rather quickly once I laid down. Unfortunately, given it was so close to the time I needed to be up, I accidentally overslept. I opened my eyes and found myself in an empty room. Even Sally had beat me up! I quickly, and sleepily, jumped to my feet and threw on some sneakers before stumbling down the stairs. Just narrowly avoiding a collision with the floor, I nonchalantly stepped forward the kitchen where I heard multiple voices.  
However, they were all surprisingly hushed. Hesitating to open the door, I decided to press my ear to the door and listen in. After all, in a house full of killers, how many secrets could they really have?   
"I can't believe you tried making out with her. Way to go, Laughing Ass," snorted Jeff.  
"Well, it was worth a shot," L.J. mumbled, an audible pout to his voice. "But at least I didn't practically smother here to death."  
"Hey!" Masky shouted defensively. "A-at least she obviously likes me!"  
"Oh please, you're both being ridiculous," E.J. sighed, sounding almost bored. "She likes all of us but only as friends. That's what's really obvious."  
"Oh, shut up, E.J.," Toby interjected. "We all know you like her too."  
"So? I'm not going to do anything about it."  
"I bet we all know who she thinks is the hottest," Jeff arrogantly bragged.  
"Stuff it, Jeff. You're such a prick. Besides she'd never go for someone with a face as screwed up as yours," mumbled Hoodie.  
"At least she can SEE my face," Jeff growled.  
"Geez, you're all idiots," Jane huffed. "I don't see why you like her anyway. She's just a human and we all know Slendy is going to kill her once we defeat Zalgo."  
"Doesn't mean we can't get some pre-carcas ass," BEN snickered.  
"You'd willingly get some post-carcas ass, pervert," L.J. snorted.  
As I was listening, and blushing rather profusely, Smile Dog trotted up behind me with Sally riding on his back. He stood quietly for a moment, tail wagging silently, before letting out a loud bark. Immediately after, Sally giggled and said, "Hi, Megan!" and the voices within the kitchen went silent. I turned around and smiled. "Hello, Sally dear. How are you this morning?"  
"I'm good!" she grinned. "Why are your cheeks so pink? Are you sick?" she asked, poking them with her tiny fingers.  
I cleared my throat and responded, "No, I just didn't sleep well last night."  
"Oh, OK," she responded. Quickly bouncing to another subject, she said, "I'm hungry. Can we get some breakfast?"  
"Of course, dear," I smiled, opening the kitchen door and letting her and Smile Dog through. Glancing at the others, I noticed everyone but Jane who still hadn't stopped scowling was looking anywhere but at me. I cleared my throat, causing a few of them to jump, and in false obliviousness asked, "Did I miss something?"  
"Of course not, gum drop," L.J. responded quickly. "We were all just talking."   
"OK...," I mumbled before quickly turning away and finding something to eat, also pouring some cereal for Sally. At Jeff's request, or demand, rather, I also pulled some meat from the fridge and fed Smile Dog. I then sat down at the table and "enjoyed" a very awkward silence. After a few minutes, I finally cleared my throat and asked, "So where's Slenderman and his brothers?"  
"Slendy is likely in his office and his brothers are probably preparing the training field," Jane answered.  
"Oh... OK," I mumbled quietly. Cue yet another awkward silence. "So how's training been for you guys?"  
Varying forms of "fine" was the mumbled response.  
"OK, seriously, what's up with you guys?" I asked, brow creased. Of course, I already knew the answer, but this was just plain irritating.  
"None of your fucking business," Jeff growled, pointing his knife threateningly in my direction.  
"Fine then. Be that way," I muttered, scowling angrily. I could agree with Jane on one thing, I certainly didn't understand why they were all interested, but it was very frustrating. Huffing in irritation, I tossed my empty bowl into the sink and stormed out.  
I sighed and plopped down onto one of the couches. A few moments later, Slenderman appeared in front of me. "What on earth is the matter, child?"  
"Nothing, really," I mumbled. "Everyone is just acting really... Weird."  
"I see...," Slenderman responded. Joining me on the couch, he asked, "None of them are troubling you, are they?"   
"No, they're all just being really quiet and vague and frustrating," I huffed, slowly growing more irritated. Killers or not, they were all sweet guys and I missed having them being normal and fun to talk to.  
"Is there anything in could do to help?" he asked.  
"Not really," I sniffed. "I don't think this is something automatically fixable."  
"Very well," he said quietly. "If you come up with a solution to your problem, let me know." That said, he stood to his feet. But before leaving, he added, "Try talking with Jane. She may be a little more relatable than you think." Then, he disappeared.   
I sighed and tilted my head against the back of the couch. I thought it would be bad enough having to stay here and just wait to die. Now I not only have to train to be like them, but Jane hates my guts, literally all of the guys are interested in me though I have zero interest in them, and I'm stuck here until either they beat Zalgo or Zalgo murders all of them. No matter how I looked at things, my situation would not improve any time soon. I guess I could just set them straight all at one time, but based off the conversation, just saying it wouldn't do much good anyway. Whatever. I could worry about that later. At the moment, I needed to rest up a bit and prepare for another day of training.  
But of course, peace and quiet was far too much to ask for. Moments later, I was greeted by the oh so pleasant presence of Trenderman. Without a word, he wrapped one of his tendrils around my wrist and looked us to what appeared to be a department store. I yanked my arm away and glared at him. "What the heck?!"  
"Oh hush, dear, you'll thank me later." Without another word, he started dragging me through different racks and aisles of clothes. He grabbed various items, ignoring my shouts and curses.  
"What are we doing?! Why did you bring me here? I was trying to rest you know. I want to go back!" I shouted, tugging against his grip.  
"You'll be able to go back once I have you looking fabulous. And besides, I think I have the perfect idea for someone of your personality."  
"Oh, come-on!" I screamed in irritation.  
"Quiet," he snapped, handing me a pile of clothes. "Now try these on. I think you'll find it all to your liking."  
"All right, fine," I muttered bitterly, entering the dressing room he'd brought me too. Once I finally tried everything on, I gaped in awe at my appearance. I don't think I'd ever looked so good before in my life! The guys were right, Trenderman is definitely good at what he does. He certainly earned the name. He dressed me in a black, fitted corset with dark purple lacing, a short black skirt with poofy purple material sticking out from underneath, black stockings, and black combat boots.  
I stepped out of the dressing room and he clapped his hands in delight, saying, "Oh, you look simply marvelous! I knew this look would be absolutely perfect for you. And now you can fight and look stunning while doing it. I'll have to dress you more often!" Barely before he finished his sentence, he took my hand once more and we appeared back in the kitchen where the others were still sitting. "And to think you all wanted me to allow her to remain in her original garb. Doesn't she look gorgeous now?" he boasted.  
The others just gaped in silence. I blushed and shuffled my feet in embarrassment. Slenderman cleared his throat and said, "I don't deny you did another wonderful job, Trenderman, but exactly how functional is this outfit?"  
"Very," Trenderman responded. "It's fitted without being too restricting and the short skirt and lack of sleeves allows for free movement. Also, the boots are steel toed for an extra "kick,"" he added smugly.   
"Very well," Slenderman muttered. "If she is comfortable in this sort of dress, I will allow it for today to see how well she is able to perform. But no more playing dress up with my humans."  
Trenderman audibly pouted, saying, "You're such a spoil sport, brother. But as you wish."  
Once they finished speaking, I disappeared back into the living room and curled up on the couch. It was bad enough before but this just made things worse. I could feel their eyes on me every second I stood there. Not only was it mortifying, but now they'd all be trying to peek up my skirt while we practiced.  
Jane exited the kitchen and said, "Way to go, slut."  
I grimaced and buried my face in my knees. This whole stay was just getting worse and worse. I'd have to come up with a fix soon.


End file.
